Even with David Johnson, Cardinals RBs ranked outside Top 10 in NFL

The Arizona Cardinals get their star running back back in the lineup this year after missing him for 15 games. They went through Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson, and they also used Kerwynn Williams as a starter. None of those three return in 2018, but Johnson is back.

Even with Johnson back, the Cardinals rank outside the top 10, coming in at No. 13.

There isn’t a whole lot of proven depth behind Johnson, though. Elijhaa Penny rushed for just 124 yards last season with the Cardinals, while D.J. Foster saw just six carries.

Chase Edmonds is a rookie fourth-round pick out of Fordham. While he was a quality collegiate runner, he didn’t face a high level of competition. He did have nearly 1,800 rushing yards two seasons ago, but he isn’t likely ready for a heavy workload at the NFL level.

Johnson is also going to have to get used to running behind a fullback. The Cardinals almost never used one under Bruce Arians but will be using one under Wilks. Derrick Coleman, who started seven games for the Atlanta Falcons last season, will almost certainly earn the starting job.

Two years ago, Johnson produced more than 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards. If he does so again, Arizona’s backfield would deserve to be higher on this list—even if Johnson does all the heavy lifting.

This isn’t completely unfair, considering how many questions there are behind Johnson.

Edmonds is promising, but is a rookie. T.J. Logan could be impactful in certain packages, but has no game experience. Elijhaa Penny and D.J. Foster might be battling for a final spot on the roster.

A healthy Johnson is great. They might not need more than that. If things play out the way the team believes it will, this ranking will seem silly at the end of the year.